T/inies Eptjlk to T. V '^Jpafan. 



this they have not done in that courage^nd fpin't to miitate^ yea and to match 

 them as Vtrgd did Homer : much lefle have they (hewed that fimpliciiie 5c apei t 

 proceeding of (^iceroy who in his books of Polli'cie and Common-wealc pro- 

 fefleth hi'mfelfe to hold with T/^tou'nhi's Confolatorie Epiftle written to his 

 daughter^confefleth and faith plainly thus, 1 follow CrantoVj dC l^an<etij4^s like- 

 wife in his Treatife concerning Offices. Which worthie monuments of his ("as 

 you know well) deferve not onely to be feene,handled, and read daily^but alfo 

 to be learned by heart everie word. CertcSjI hold it for a point of a bate and fer- 

 vile mind, and wherein there is no goodneflfe at all^ to chufe rather to be furpri^ 

 fed and taken in theft, than to bring home borrowed good, or to repay a due 

 debt, efpecially when the occupying, ufe, and intereft thereof, hath gained a 

 man as much as the principalL 



Now as touching the tides and infcn'ptions of Bookes, the Greeks therein 

 have a vvoonderfuU grace and great felicitie: fome have entituled them Knfiovj 

 *To wit,H*- whereby they would give us to underfland of A fvvet hony-combe : others 

 limMeiijjki. ^^^^^ A/A«A&««?, thatisto fay. The home of plentie and ftore :in fuch fort, that 

 whofoever readeth ihefe goodly titles^muft needs hope for fome great matters 

 in fuchbooks,and as the proverb goeth,looke to drii ike there or els no vvhere,a 

 good draught of hensmilke. Youfhall have moreover their books fet out with 

 IrhhTngtt^ thefe glorious infcn'ptions, The Mufes,The ^Pandeds, ^Enchiridion, * a«^^v, 

 TjroTHiiL "^pivxMov I Goodly namcsall, Sc fuch,as who would not make default of appea- 

 4manuciito rance in court, and forfeit a recognifance or obligation, to unclafpe fuch books 

 ^ai«Tn w ^^^^"^ ^ver the leafe ^ But let a man enter into them and read forvvard,Lord / 

 Medow. ' },ovv litde or no fabfi:ance at all fhall he find within the verie mids,anfvverable to 

 'indc?^^^ °' that brave fhew in the front or outfide thereof f As for our countreymen ('La- 

 tines I meane and Romans) they be nothing fo fine and curious as the Greeks, 

 grolfe are they in comparifon of them in giving tides to their books Jthey come 

 with their AntiquitieSjExamples, and Arts,and thofe alfo be fuch authors as are 

 the moft pleafant and of fineffc invention amongffc them all. Vderius who (as I 

 take it) was named oAntias^ both for that he was a cittizen of Antium,and alfo 

 becaufe the aunceftours of his houfe were fo called, was the firft that gave to a 

 booke of his own making,the tide of Lucuhrano^'d^s. a man would fay,Candle- 

 vvorkeorNight-iludie.' Zy^rr^jjhe tearmethfome of his Satyres Sefcuiyxesmd 

 VlexibuU Dtodorus among the Greeks was the firfi: that laid afide toyifh tides, 

 and becaufe he would givefome grave name to his Chronicles,entituled it 



a Libraries e^//072 the famous Grammarian, evenhevvhome Ttberms 

 Ufar called the Cy mball of the world (whereas indeed he deferved to be na- 

 med a Timbrell or Drum rather for ringing and founding publicke fame) was 

 fo vainglorious, that he fuppofed all thofe immortalized unto whome he wrote 

 orcompofedany pamphlet whatfoever* For mine ovvne part, although I no^ 

 thing repent me that 1 have devifed no pretier Titlefor my Booke than plaine 

 NamraitsHtfloriay i. The reports of Nature, without more ceremonie, yet be- 

 caufe I would not be thought altogitherto courfe and rate the Greeks,! can be 

 content, nay I am willing to bee thought in this behalfe like unto thofe exccl- 

 . Jentgrand-mafters in Greece for Painting and Imagerie,vvhome you fhall find 

 in thefe Reports of mine, to have entituled thofe rare and abfolute peeces of 

 worke (which the more vve view and lookeupon, the more wee admire and 



wonder 



